Feature story: To really know what type of person Tim Zimmer is, you needed to have
been on that bus coming back from Indiana University after watching a
college soccer tournament. It's an annual trip Naperville Central coach Jay Konrad takes with his
boys soccer team. And each year on the return trip, the players hold an
impromptu dance competition, just to let off some steam and have some
fun. And each time for the past three years, Tim Zimmer came back as
the winner.
Boys Soccer Player of the Year: At age 5, Bob Novak was given a plastic, dimestore variety soccer ball and his path to a four-year, record-setting varsity career at Lockport was set.
Boys Soccer Athlete of the Year: Although Geneva's Shawn Sloan never experienced his state dream, it's hard for him to be disappointed. Because for senior Shawn Sloan, his days at Geneva won't be remembered for never performing on the state stage, but rather for the countless achievements during a memorable four-year varsity run.
Alonso Flores contributed plenty of goals (49 this season, 122 for his career) and even more intangibles for Bloom. That's why he's the SouthtownStar's Boys Soccer Player of the Year.
Years of hard work paid off this season for Bremen's Steve Granat, who led the Braves to the Class 2A supersectional. That has earned him Fire/SouthtownStar Boys Soccer Coach of the Year honors.